The Seconds After
by Iditarod
Summary: This is after S4EP3. House kills himself to see what's in the afterlife. When the doctors revive him, he claims to have seen nothing. However, everybody lies, don't they? Anyways, it's driving him nuts. So, who's House going to turn to? Hameron
1. My Place or Yours?

_A/N: This takes place shortly after the episode entitled "96 Seconds." House is beginning to wonder if he really did see something, and it's driving him crazy. and I don't own House or it's Characters._

Story:

Due to the recent chain of events, House was surprisingly pleased with himself as he served an extra few hours of clinic duty. His interns had left, and it gave him a chance to run from the thoughts that threatened to take over his brain. Of course, he was still the ego-maniacal narcissistic pain in the butt everyone knew the doctor to be, it just turned out that he was a more productive/i ego-maniacal narcissistic pain in the butt.

Hobbling out of the exam room, House made his way to the atrium to obtain another patient file. He was just opening the file when Cuddy, unsuspectingly, whisked the file from his clutches.

"What are you up to?" She inquired in a voice similar to that of an all-knowing mother.

"Well, haven't you heard? I've had this miraculous change in heart," House sniffled sarcastically, "I've decided that I actually_ love_ clinic duty. It just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside." Putting his hand to his chest in fake sincerity he continued through Cuddy's all too familiar glare, "removing Barbie's shoe from my last patient's ear makes me want to live another day." Wiping a fake tear from his eye, Dr.House placed his burned hand on Cuddy's shoulder, "I'm glad we had this talk, now if you'll excuse me I need to see what orfice Barbie's shoe will show up in this time."

Lisa subtly grimaced at the sight of his charred hand on her shoulder before he removed it in a round about turn. Greg House's escape was cut short when Cuddy caught his elbow, causing him to face her once again. "I'm serious Greg. After what you did today, the last thing I expected you to do was clinic duty. What is it, _for real_?"

Rolling his eyes the sarcasm returned to his voice, "You caught me. Clinic duty was a last-ditch effort to get you to have sex with me. I see it's obviously working, so which do you prefer? My office or yours?" He allowed his voice to grow husky in an attempt to get Cuddy to stop asking questions, and leave him be. "Hope you're better that that hooker I hired last night, hate to have her come over two nights in a row."

Dr. Cuddy's glare grew more intense, "you're obviously up to something, so until I figure out exactly what it is you're banned from the clinic."

House smirked at the new rule, "so that means if you never find out, I'll never have clinic duty again." Pausing momentarily he simply stated the word "cool," before he turned abruptly, leaving Cuddy to take in what she'd just committed to.

He was halfway to the elevator before Cuddy managed a response. Lifting the patient file toward House in an authoritative way she yelled to him, "I will find out what you're doing House, and when I do you'll personally have to pay double clinic duty for every hour that you missed. No more conning Wilson into doing it for you, he's got enough of your clinic hours already."

Greg had already reached the elevator by the time she'd finished her rant. Just as the elevator doors were coming to a close he yelled back to her, "Don't worry about that, I'll get Thirteen to fill in for him."

The doors soon closed ending their conversation. Cuddy was left behind with a wry smile on her face. Their relationship definitely had a bit of humor in it and she knew it. She couldn't help but laugh as the casually clad doctor effectively escaped the conversation. If only she knew the hell he was going through trying to stay sane after what he'd seen in those ninety-six seconds.

The silence engulfed the poor doctor in the elevator. All that was left were his thoughts. In effort to combat these dangerous thoughts he yelled, "IT WASN'T REAL!" Stepping out of the elevator and onto the floor where his office was he repeatedly mumbled, "it wasn't real. It can't be real. What I saw was just chemical reactions while my brain was shutting down. I mean, I'd be crazy to think that there's an afterlife. There's no such thing as Heaven or Hell." Each lopsided step grew heavier the more the thoughts and images crowded around his mind. Gruffly, he grabbed his leather jacket and motorcycle helmet.

A surge of pain traveled through his body as House realized that he'd grabbed the helmet with his burned hand through pure habit. A horrible grimace contorted Greg's features before he once again headed for the elevator. He hit the button for the last floor as he combated the thoughts tormenting him. Beads of sweat began to form as he approached the parking garage. At the last minute he headed down a hall that took him away from the parking garage. What he was about to do made very little sense but it was the only thing he thought would save him from himself.

House burst through the ER doors, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He gave a nod to one of the nurses, "I need to speak with Dr.Cameron."

Recognizing him as a fellow doctor the male nurse willing revealed her whereabouts, "down that hall, second room on the right."

Greg proceeded without a word. He quickly peeked in the room to make sure she was indeed in the room he was told. Blue eyes beamed anxiously as he watched her dress a wound, his head swam as he turned to lean against the wall just outside the room. The minutes ticked by painfully as Dr. Cameron took her time caring for her patient, unaware how much she was needed by her former boss. House allowed his helmet to drop to the floor as he waited for Cameron to emerge.

The time finally came when she left the small room. Cameron was about to head to the nurses station when she felt strong arms encircle her from behind. One pulled against her mouth, effectively muffling her startled scream and the other circled her waist and began to pull her backwards. She dropped her clip board and her tiny arms flailed as she struggled against a herculean force. To no avail, she was forced into an empty room by... a man with a cane? She spun around when the door had closed and the man had let her loose.

"House, what are-" Cameron was abruptly cut off by Greg's hand once again covering her mouth. She silently looked on. House's fierce blue eyes shone with great fear and confusion as he searched hers for some clue as to what to say. The held gazes for a few moments before Cameron's eyes drifted to the rest of his appearance.

To say the least, he was disheveled. Sweat covered his face and made his hair stick out in every which way. House's clothing was extremely wrinkled and one patch was worn thin through an excessive wringing of his hand.

Allowing his hand to drop from her lips he simply commanded Cameron, "come with me."

A/N: To Be Continued... **Comment Please!!!!!!!**


	2. Come With Me

A/N: I don't own House... and thanks for all the reviews!!!

Another look at those shining eyes and Cameron wanted to melt. The beautiful young doctor always had a weakness for House. There was always more to him than met the eye and every fiber within screamed "GO WITH HIM!" Unfortunately her caring nature always seemed to place her away from House. She desired to help people, and The gruff older doctor always refused her attempts to comfort him.

With a heart heavy sigh, she shook her head, her blond hair following every movement. "House," the name hung stale in the thick air, "I can't right now. Maybe... after... well, what I mean is..."

Dr.House interjected, "Let me guess, you'd rather spend another four hours pulling shards of glass out of car accident victims." House leaned his cane against the wall with a loud 'thump' causing Cameron to nearly jump out of her skin. "God, Cameron, you need this, I need this, what's the debate?"

Stumbling back a few steps Cameron replied almost unsure of herself, "I don't work for you anymore, House." Her voice began to grow louder, yet still held a soft quality she'd never been without, "you CAN'T make me do things like you used to. Now if you'll exc-"

Through her heated words she hadn't noticed, or cared, that House steadily limped closer to her. Before she'd had a chance to react her body was pressed into the door and House's wild eyes looked deep into her soul. Pausing mid-word she softly uttered his name in intense confusion. Her brows furrowed under his strong gaze, "what is it?" Allison nearly whispered as she raised her hand to the side of his face. The young doctor glided her thumb across his cheekbone, now pushing all thoughts of work from her mind. "what's wrong House? What do yo-"

House then did the unexpected. Breaking eye contact he leaned in to kiss the questioning Cameron, swallowing all the questions that were spewing forth from her tiny form. Resisting at first she soon gave in, allowing their warm bodies to press closer together. His smell invaded her nostrils, the familiar musky scent sending her over the edge. It was almost too good to be true.

Her hands wandered through his hair and his slid down her obliques and around her subtle hips. House knew he'd get her to come with this move. The gruff doctor was desperate, she'd become his only hope for ridding these images from his mind. A surge of pain shot through his body, causing him to release her sensuous lips and lay his head on Cameron's shoulder. Silent shivers ran through his body causing his chest to expand and contract with deep breaths.

Greg stood back, allowing Cameron to unpin herself from the wall. Two large hands rested on her shoulders forcing her to meet his gaze once again. "Allison, come with me..."

Cameron nodded her head reluctantly, "Just let me grab my keys."

He released his grip, "No time. I need you to come,** now**." House grabbed his cane from the wall then left the tiny ER room. Cameron followed with an inquisitive yet worried look upon her features. upon leaving, she picked up his helmet, insisting he not touch anything with his charred hand. Together, they mounted the motorcycle and sped off into the warm July night. Thoughts and images from those 96 seconds left his mind momentarily, as he thought of those porcelain hands around his mid section. It wasn't until he'd arrived at his home that the thoughts once again swam over him.

Dismounting, he fell hard onto the grass, the darkness from "dying," momentarily consuming him. House didn't even attempt to get back up. Cameron ran to his side, rolling him onto his back so his airway was clear. She understood immediately why he'd come to her, and kissed her into submission. He couldn't turn to Cuddy or Wilson because they would never let him hear the end of it. His interns were far too new, and Foreman and Chase only found House as a coworker and nothing more. To Cameron, House was a friend, and she was now determined to see what he was up to.

With Cameron's assistance, they made it into his home. "I think I saw something, Cam."

She shrugged off his comment, paying no attention to what he had to say but more or less to his bodily responses. House's wild eyes were bloodshot and irritated. His palms were clammy and he was placing more body weight on Cameron than he'd ever placed on his cane. Something was definitely wrong, and as a doctor she had a moral obligation to right this wrong. Allison gently laid the tall doctor on the couch and wiped the sweat from his face.

"You're burning up. Wait here." Cam simply put before she left to his bedroom.

She dug through House's dresser drawers, looking for clean clothes to change him into. Most of his clothes were scattered about the room in disarray as though they hadn't been washed in months. After several moments of digging she came upon an old band t-shirt, thin boxers and a light pair of flannel pajama pants. With her prize in hand she ran to the living room and proceeded to undress the half-conscious man. Sweat soaked every parcel of clothing she removed, he was obviously very worried about something. Greg's chest glistened when she pulled his shirt over his head. It would defeat the purpose to slide another shirt on at this point.

With a graceful agility she ran to the bathroom grabbing a few of the cleaner looking towels. Wetting one, she grazed it over his chest and face, eliciting a relieved sigh from House. He stopped her for a moment just to look into her eyes. Thanks pooled from his eyes as he drifted into a dazed state. He was more than pleased to have her there but he'd never verbally admit it.

Upon sliding the thin cotton T-shirt over his head she proceeded to undo his belt and tug at his jeans. House smiled and looked across at Cam, "I'm not having sex with you, but you're welcome to give me a little blow."

Cameron just shook her head and continued to remove the clothing that clung to his body ever so tightly. A slight gasp escaped her lips when she saw his damaged leg. It was no wonder he was in so much pain. The area was heavily scarred and severely misshapen. It hurt her to even look at it. Gently she ran her porcelain digits across the scar, "Greg..."

"Hm?" was his feeble response. Images were flooding his mind and the encroaching fever did nothing to help the matter. He groaned in discomfort when the cold cloth made contact with the lower half of his body. Quickly, she slid clean boxers and pajama pants on him. House tossed and turned on the couch, "Cam, I-"

"Sh sh shh..." Cameron placed a finger on his lips, "whatever you have to tell me can wait till the morning." Concern wafted over her face, "you need your rest. I'm here..." Allison looked at his limp form and decided not to risk a trip to his bed. He was almost twice her wait and in this state she knew House wouldn't be much help.

Cameron picked up his sweaty clothes and turned to head toward the laundry room, Halted in mid-step she turned to face those sparkling blue eyes once again. "Please, Cam, don't leave."

A pleasant smile spread across her lips, "Don't worry, I won't."

With that, she tossed the clothing and jacket into the overflowing bin of dirty laundry and she found her other clean cloth. In gentle strides she wet the cloth in ice water and placed it on the forehead of Greg's sleeping body. Convinced that he'd be okay for a few minutes she freshened up and rid herself of her dirty scrubs. When she finally returned to House's side she had on a pair of his boxers and an old T-shirt from his dresser. Wrapping one of his blankets around herself she continued to care for him, changing his cold compresses and making sure she didn't sweat through his clothing again.

Well into the night she managed to whisper "I hope what you saw is worth all this..." soon thereafter she managed to drift into an unencumbered sleep. Her head lay on his chest, House's heartbeat comforting her through the night, and her body was on the floor. She'd have a heck of a time explaining to Cuddy why she wasn't there the next day.

A/N: to be continued... **Please Review!!!!!**


	3. Heaven on Earth

_**A/N:** I don't own House or anything like that. BTW... I LOVE YOUR COMMENTS!!!!!! keep 'em comin'_

**Story:**

Allison awoke to a blinding light flooding the living room. Quickly rising to her feet she closed the blinds hoping her former boss could catch a little more shuteye. She would hate to have House be tormented so soon. Though Cameron didn't know exactly what had happened she knew it was very upsetting. He wouldn't run to her if he couldn't take care of it himself. House needed her most in these few moments, and this fact pleased the young doctor.

Despite the lack of sleep and proper shower her smile shone brilliantly in the dimly lit room. Tip-toeing once again to the older doctor's side she took his pulse and felt his forehead for excessive heat. House was showing extremely good signs this morning but she was still afraid that the sweating and fever would return when he awoke. Cameron knelt beside the over-sized sofa and took the opportunity to simply study the man she'd cared deeply about for so many years.

She watched how his chest rose and fell with each breath, taking into account how normal his body looked when all the sarcasm and defensiveness left. It was a rather peaceful sight how different he could look when all guard was down. In an impulsive and curious move Cameron put her hand to the side of his face. In one gentle sweep she allowed her digits to explore the folds of his face and the rough stubble of House's strong jaw line. The sensations flooded the recesses of her mind, and eventually hid for further speculation. A gentle smile remained carved into her pale pink lips. House really did care a lot more than what he let other people know.

Cameron sighed slightly before once again rising to her feet. Before leaving the living room she laid a thin blanket across his strewn body and placed a light kiss on House's stubbly cheek, "Sleep tight, I'm still here." Grabbing her cell phone from the pocket of her pile of scrubs she receded to a room far enough away so she wouldn't risk waking House. She found a little sanctuary in a corner of the older man's bedroom.

A few places were on her agenda to call. First order of business was to call Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital and inform Cuddy of their absence. Her conversation with Dr.Cuddy was short and sweet; she was obviously peeved that House was missing another day of work but thankful he'd chosen not to barricade himself from everyone and instead decided to open up. It was important for House to make contact with other people, even if it meant he had to miss one day of work.

Next, she called the local supermarket. House was in desperate need of food, seeing as the only things in his cupboards were canned soup and peanut butter. Over the phone she ordered eggs, buckwheat pancake mix, milk, wheat bread, rye crackers, tea bags, a toothbrush, and a few other items to get them through the day. Cameron ended up leaving an envelope of cash that she'd found in Greg's sock drawer and requested that they didn't knock when they arrived.

Lastly, she called a friend to check on her apartment and the few pets she had. Her friend happily acquiesced so that she could devote the rest of the day to House and his needs.

With her whole day free she collected the box of groceries and other items from the porch and proceeded to take a shower and tidy up around the house. Cameron put in a few loads of laundry that may have never been done otherwise, and cleaned up the kitchen a bit so she could make breakfast. With her scrubs in the washer she flew about the house in a clean pair of boxers and T-shirt that were obviously too big for her lithe form.

Allison waited until 9 AM to cook breakfast in hopes of having everything fresh when Greg awoke from his slumber. The young doctor proceeded to mix up her buckwheat pancakes and start the oven. Chopped fruit, nuts, and chocolate chips were tossed into neat little piles all over the counter. She could never decide what to put in her pancakes and she didn't know how house liked them so she did a little bit of everything. Some had strawberries and other had blueberries, whilst others had banana and some were purely chocolate chip. She also made a few plain ones just in case House's stomach wasn't feeling up to par.

Cameron smirked when she opened a cupboard to reveal a whole assortment of red coffee mugs and bright red plates. She quickly piled one of the red plates with several pancakes and turned a bowl upside down to keep them warm while she made a concoction of tea. In both their cups the young doctor put chamomile, mint, lavender, and just a hint of honey to make the tea sweet.

As she finished washing the pans she'd cooked with she saw House hobble to the bathroom and return to the sofa. Greg rubbed his eyes in confusion, "Where am I?" He looked around, seeing the House cleaner than it'd ever been.

Allison chuckled as she made her way to the sofa, "Very funny, House. Now, drink this before it gets cold." She handed the bright mug to his still groggy form.

He looked at her in bewilderment, "What the heck is this stuff?" House questioned, reluctant to consume the funny smelling amber liquid. "Is it some weird poison? it won't work you know... I can smell poison a mile away."

"Just drink it." the young doctor smiled before running back to the kitchen to retrieve the pancakes and utensils.

Cameron's eyes lit up when she saw House actually enjoying the tea she'd mixed. "Chamomile and Lavender to relax you, Mint for a little tang, and Honey to make it sweet. Sound like poison to you?"

"No way, it's heaven on earth!" Greg quickly took note of the dishes still in her hands. Gesturing to the overturned bowl, "is that where you put the poison, told you I could smell it a mile away."

"You know me all too well, any last requests before you pick your poison?" Cameron retorted with a laugh. House was just about to respond with a snarky comment when he was cut short by the wonderful smell that caught his nostrils. Allison had lifted the bowl to reveal an assortment of dark hued pancakes.

"and what exactly are those?" House gestured.

"Buckwheat pancakes. I didn't know what kind you'd like so I made a little bit of everything." The young doctor then proceeded to lay out forks and plates on the coffee table and take her seat on the sofa with her plate in hand. Before they disappeared she secured a few strawberry and chocolate chip pancakes and sat back with a look of pure satisfaction.

"I should kidnap you more often. I could always use a pancake slave. These are delicious!" House loaded up a second plateful his smile growing wider with each bite. It wouldn't be long before those 97 seconds came back to haunt him.

Enjoying the few moment of utter bliss he looked down at what he was wearing. The events of the previous night were vague, The fact that he was wearing a completely new set of clothes and Cameron was out of her scrubs was hardly surprising. Though he didn't remember everything, he could gather that Cameron had simply done her "thing" and cared for him.

Through a mouthful of pancake he managed to inquire to Cameron, "Did we do anything 'fun' last night?"

"If you consider sponge bathing a fully grown man and keeping a fever at bay 'fun' I had tons last night. Best night of my life, oh so much better than pulling shards of glass from car accident victims." Cameron laughed at her own bout of sarcasm. She was never completely sarcastic, she always had to laugh afterward, it was more lighthearted than anything.

House lifted his plate up of his lap for a moment, "By the way, thank you."

"Oh, it's no problem, you paid for it anyway..." Allison began to shrug it off before she realized what House had just said. It was very out of character for him to thank anybody for anything. Furrowing her brows in confusion she caught eye contact with him. Holding eye contact she almost tried to search his soul. His piercing blue eyes always caught her off guard. "Wait a minute... are you feeling all right?" Rising to her feet she felt his forehead and then returned back to her seat on the sofa. "You're not yourself, House, what happened yesterday? what did you see?"

**A/N:**_ to be continued... I promise you guys will see what happens in the next chapter... promise..._ **Comment please!!!!!!!**


	4. Man of Light

_**A/N:** I don't own house or the characters... Thanks again for the comments!!!! You guys are so inspiring :D_

**Story:**

The floodgates raised and House swam in his ever-haunting nightmare. The glimmer in his eyes went from jovial to disturbed. Returning Cameron's steady gaze he searched for a starting point. He only broke the gaze to move their plates and forks to the coffee table. "I... um... don't know where to start." Greg looked everywhere except at Cameron's concerned face. It wasn't long before the beads of sweat formed along his brow and his breathing shallowed. House wasn't quite sure how he could relay such horrific images, or even if Cameron would believe his story.

Seeing the instant change, Cameron moved close enough to the older doctor so that their legs touched. Allison smiled reassuringly as she took Greg's "good" hand in her own, noticing the clamminess that had returned from the previous night. Slowly she ran her fingers along his, hoping to add some comfort. "Close your eyes, House, and lean back."

Greg smirked, "The therapist is in."

"Just close your eyes and lean back into the couch before we have a repeat of last night." Cameron added a bit of pressure to his hand, meeting his eyes just before he acquiesced and closed them.

"You'll never believe me." He mumbled, allowing himself to drift into the couch cushions, comforted by the smell of fruity shampoo and his confidant's warm touch.

Cameron reassured, "Don't worry about that, I would not have gotten us out of work or made breakfast if I didn't think this was important. Something obviously has you pegged and if it's helpful to tell someone, I'm all ears..."

It was House's move now and Cameron patiently waited, guiding his hand to a spot just below her collarbone yet above her breasts. This way he could feel her heartbeat, without any negative repercussions. Heartbeats had always comforted her, she figured the effect should be the same for a fellow human.

Sighing heavily Greg went back to the beginning of the experience, completely confident that Allison wouldn't laugh in his face. House's voice filled the room, "It was a rash decision, but I had to know I had to solve the puzzle. There was no way both that lunatic and I could be right at the same time. I needed to know, Allison. That's what I do, that's who I am." Greg's voice, as well as his heartbeat, rose considerably, "I'm such a moron! I can hardly believe I did what I did. Needing to figure out that stupid puzzle has given me more than I can handle. My entire life has been a lie, Cam."

"Sh, sh, shh... surely you can't mean that, House." Cameron softly whispered leaving a few moments of painful silence hovering in the room.

Once House regained control of his heartbeat and the volume of his voice he spoke again, "When my heartbeat stopped, time did as well. It wasn't long before I was proved wrong. Nothing went black like I had predicted, instead I saw bright lights and a creature clothed in colors I'd never seen before. I'd like to call it an angel, but he looked nothing like what artists portray angels to be."

"He?" she questioned, her face growing more and more concerned. It was very good that he wasn't looking at her, Cameron obviously didn't believe him. She continued to believe the whole 'you live, you die, that's it' theory, nothing else was plausible nor ever had been.

"Exactly." was House's response. "The wings were there, but this guy was far from the girlie pleasant looking angels the media portrays. He looked as though he'd been bodybuilding from the time of infancy, if he ever was one. This angel-thing was easily four times my size, if not more. At the time I believed my brain was shutting down. It was only because I didn't believe he was real that I allowed myself to take his hand.

I found it strange that he didn't say a word to me. At one point I looked at his face and all I could see was an overwhelming sadness. It was at that point I realized it was more than chemical reactions caused by my brain shutting down. It was real..." Greg took a deep breath, allowing himself to feel each of Allison's heartbeats shoot through his fingertips. House didn't dare open his eyes, he could tell just by the stiffness of her body that she didn't believe a word he said.

With another deep breath he continued, silently thankful Allison had yet to pull away or laugh in his face. "The Angel took me to this large room full of light. To my left was a huge feasting room where many angels rejoiced and many people ate to their heart's content. To my right was darkness... no movement, just an eerie pool of darkness... Before me, was a giant throne, and in the throne sat a man that, as strange as it sounds, was made entirely of light. The room I was in seemed cut off from the other two rooms, like I was totally alone with the man of light.

At that point I distinctly remember looking at myself and then looking back at the man of light. I was completely unclothed and I remember feeling immense shame. When my eyes met his, there was no expression on his face. He reminded me of an impartial judge, the way he just looked at me and then at an angel behind me. His deep voice filled the large throne-room, 'Read from the file.' My heart sank as the angel laid every wrong-doing I'd ever done in front of the man of light."

At this point Greg's heartbeat was racing fervently. He abruptly removed his hand from Cameron's chest and grabbed the hem of his shirt, wringing the fabric madly. House's eyes fluttered open, a frantic glisten haunting his ever-captivating eyes. "God, Cameron, God knew everything I ever did. Every time I said his name as a curse word, every time I lied to cover my ass, and every time I ever did anything I wasn't supposed to."

His frantic gaze turned toward Cameron, locking with her disbelieving eyes, "Cameron, that's not even the half of it, not even close." Silence flooded the room once again, the horrible events playing repeatedly through his mind.

Not really sure of the proper response she allowed instinct to lead the way. Cameron's caring nature took over putting a stop to whatever Greg was saying for the moment. Placing her slender arms around his neck, she crept closer to his chest in a tight embrace. Naturally, Greg continued to wring the hem of his t-shirt. House wasn't the "huggy" sort of person, even if he did appreciate them ever now and then.

"I think we should take a break for a while, freshen up, and watch a movie or something. You have all day to finish." Allison lifted herself from the couch, encouraging House to do the same. "Besides, you smell like a dead rat, you need the shower."

Rising to his feet, Greg smirked, "Cane's still on the bike, I'll need your help for a sec." House gestured for Allison's shoulder, effectively placing enough weight on her to make her believe she was of help. House didn't really need the physical help at the moment, but he knew it'd brighten Cameron's day to be able to help with something other than psycho babbling. Besides, it was comforting to know she was there for him.

Once in the bathroom Cameron stood motionless not really sure how much help he needed. The cutest confused look contorted her features, eliciting a chuckle from the ever-observant House. "Unless you're showering with me, you need to get out." Cameron paused for a moment before deciding what to do, "First order of business, pants." Greg gripped at the waistline of his pants, threatening to pull them down in front of her.

"okay, okay, I'm leaving." Cameron threw her hands in the air and left abruptly. It was one thing to see him naked when she was caring for him and he was half-conscious. It was quite another when he was his snarky self. Upon leaving the bathroom she did another load of laundry and tidied up the mess they'd made from breakfast. Before sprawling out on the couch she laid an outfit for him on his bed. A band T-shirt and a pair of jeans and boxers that had freshly come out of the dryer.

She laughed to herself not knowing what to make of his story. House seemed to believe what he was saying, but if that wasn't the half of it, what more could there possibly be? Allison sighed heavily into the couch cushion. She'd find out soon enough.

_A/N: _**Please Review!!!!!!** _I love to hear what you guys have to say!_


	5. pretty pretty princess

**A/N:** _Nah, it's not going to be too supernatural... no figures showing up at their doorsteps or anything... just memories mostly :D I don't own House but** I do LOVE comments**!!!!_

**Story:**

Greg stopped his shower earlier than usual, upset that it'd been "Cameron-fied." In the one night she'd stayed, Cameron managed to turn his bonified bachelor pad into a fru-fru palace. It was bad enough the kitchen had been stocked with the healthy "stuff," but leaving strawberry vanilla shampoo, conditioner, and matching bar-soap was almost too much.

In a rather short period of time, House managed to go from dead rat to pretty pretty princess. By the end of his short-lived shower it was payback time. Rolling his eyes and sliding a towel around his waist he called out to the younger doctor, "Oh little pancake slaaaave." He could hear her repress a giggle as she cantered back to the bathroom, ready to assist.

He could see a look of embarrassment cross her features when the aroma of strawberries escaped through the doorway. Stuttering slightly she whispered bashfully, "I'm so sorry."

House hurriedly motioned her to his side, "just get over here."

"Ugh! You're soaked, House!" Allison squealed, the moisture effectively penetrating her shirt. "You didn't even bother drying off."

"Exactly.." House smugly responded.

A wry grin spread across Allison's face, "at least you don't smell like a dead rat anymore."

"yeah?" House teased, pinning Allison to the bed they'd now reached. "What exactly do I smell like now?" Greg shoved his armpit over her nose, applying enough weight so that she couldn't get off the bed without inhaling the odor from his squeaky clean armpits.

Cameron squirmed under the pressure, trying to rid herself of the looming armpit. "You smell like..." she laughed, momentarily searching for words. "like a hairy strawberry." Her tiny fists playfully beat House's chest, urging him to let her out from under him.

House raised an eyebrow, "hairy strawberry? Gosh, woman, what kind of strawberries have you been eating?"

"I answered your stupid question House, now let me go. I'm getting drenched under here!"

Readjusting his towel around his waist he stood, "fair enough, now turn around so I can get dressed."

Cameron trotted to the doorway, her back to House giving him at least a little privacy. In hurried movements he toweled off the rest of his body and slid on the small assortment of clothes Cameron had laid out. One glance at the doorway and he could see that Allison was still turned around, obedient as ever. As much as he hated to admit it, he liked having someone around that naturally cared. There was nothing he could do to get Cameron to not "care" as much as she did. Smirking, House silently noted how natural their interactions had become over the years.

House loved Cameron more than she ever knew. It was because he loved her he'd pulled back so many times throughout their relationship. In his mind he wasn't worth her affection; just a lonely old man that failed to live up to anyone's expectations. Cameron was radiant! A fire lit deep within her burned bright enough for everyone to see. The gentleness of her touch never ceased to send sparks through his entire body. The tenderness in Allison's eyes never failed to catch him off guard. It was beyond House that Cameron loved him in return, but for fear of crushing her dreams he never responded to her the way he wished he could. House wouldn't allow Cameron to be weighted down by an old cripple such as himself.

"Cameron..." House's voice hung gently in the air as Cameron returned to his side. Leaning into her with each step, he managed to tease, "Cameron, you're soaked!"

"Gee," Cameron rolled her eyes, "I wonder why..."

Arriving at the over-sized sofa, the pair reclined in comfortable silence. After several moments it was Greg who broke the silence to finish his tale, "It was a feeling that I never experienced before, being lain bare and broken. I hide things from everyone. It's rather pathetic how only a few people have seen my "underbelly" so to speak. Wilson probably knows more about me than he's ever known about his wives. Cuddy knows more than she should, and you... well let's just say you know more than the average person. I haven't decided if that's a good or bad thing yet."

House winked, readjusting himself for more comfort. Gingerly he placed his right leg on top of Cameron's and leaned back into the full length of the sofa, the left leg following the right. "It was then the man of light asked a question that knocked the wind out of me. 'Does this man's name appear in the Lamb's book of life?'

I could hear the pages turning behind me. The Angel thoroughly searched through the text for my name. With sadness in his eyes he replied to the man of light, 'I'm sorry, it does not.' With a flick of the man of light's wrist the angel grabbed me from behind.

The man of light simply told the angel, 'then... I do not know him.' I screamed out to the man of light, telling him of all the lives I'd saved, and every good thing I could think of. I pleaded for him to recognize me, for him to stretch out his arms and pretend it was all a joke, but all he did was shake his head from side to side as the Angel slowly made it to the edge of the throne room. With the gentlest of tosses he threw me into the darkness.

Immediately I could feel the flames attach to my skin, melting the flesh off my bones. I screamed as loud as I could but there was no response. The only sounds I could here were the screams of others burning alive just like me... only... their screams never stopped. They continued to burn alive in the black fire. The others never died, only continued to be scorched in this lake of fire.

Whenever I close my eyes I can hear the screams. I can still feel the fire consuming me. That's why I was so delirious last night. That's why I can't seem to stop sweating... and that's why I came to you. I can't handle this by myself. It's like that's really what happens when someone dies. Sounds crazy, huh?" Greg glanced at Cameron's rigid form, hoping for some form of reassurance. Something to let him know he hadn't gone off the deep-end.

"Uh... I think it's lunchtime." Cameron evaded the question not sure what to say. House didn't sound at all like himself, and she was beginning to wonder about his state of mind.

"Cam, please tell me what you think. Tell me you think I'm crazy... call Cuddy and Wilson... just do something besides ignore what I've asked." House pleaded with her.

With a sigh Cameron slid out from under House's feet, "give me until after lunch. I'll have something for you then." Cameron stood to her feet and went to the laundry room.

"What are you doing?" House questioned.

"I'm getting ready for lunch. did you think I was going out in public in your clothes? People might think we're doing each other."

"Oh believe me, Cameron, they already do."

_A/N:_ this is a shout out for breakaway01. I thank you so much for your insight! I can't see House completely changing from this one experience either (I've got something brewing) hint hint, that's why he's able to make the sexual remarks and other things along that line. He hasn't decided if it was a hallucination or not so though he hasn't fully turned his life over, he can't escape it either. Lol, and as far as the relaxed setting... we never see them in a relaxed setting for a prolonged period of time. I do admit it's a bit OOC, but House hasn't really responded to anything Cameron has done for him. I can see Cameron reaching and reaching but House never really returns. If anyone has any advice or insight as to how to make this more IC I'd love to hear it...


	6. SeeFood

**_AN:_** _I'm sorry this took so long!!!! I'll try to have Chapter Seven up by Wednesday or Friday. Anyways please read and review... I love to hear your crits and comments!!!!!!!! btw I don't own House or the Characters_

**Story:**

House's gaze followed Cameron as she made her way into the door-less laundry closet. He saw every graceful movement as she took her clothes out of the dryer and shed house's dirty ones. Cameron, of course, did not know she was being watched. She'd assumed that Greg was watching General Hospital or whatever show was on that stupid television. So when House called out "nice ass" she was thoroughly embarrassed and retreated to the far side of the room to put on her top.

With crimson cheeks, Cameron eventually emerged. Surprisingly, she didn't head straight for House's side. Instead, she raided his bedroom closet for his white button up shirt and navy jacket. With her prize in hand she made her way to the sofa where House sat. "Wear these," the young doctor stated, dropping the clothing into his lap.

"Is this your way of punishing me for seeing you half-naked?" The gruff older doctor smirked, causing heat to return to Allison's cheeks.

"Just put on the stupid clothes. I don't know where we're going, so I'd rather you'd look half decent than like a total slob." Cameron glared, picking up a pair of worn converse shoes and clean socks and returning to the sofa.

"I never said the view was unpleasant, it was rather aesthetically pleasing. I'd have insisted you stay in diagnostics had I seen that side of you more often." House slipped on the two articles of clothing, extremely amused by Cameron's intensified reaction. He spasmodically jumped when Cameron chucked his shoes at his abdomen. "Ouch! what did I do?" he inquired, fully aware he'd pressed Cameron's buttons.

Cameron shot a dirty look his way, "you've just admitted you're a jerk and you plan on paying for everything we do today."

"Yes mum." House muttered, eliciting another dirty look from Cameron's flawless features. However, when their eyes met he could catch hint of a repressed smile. With a smile of his own he raised two fingers to the side of his head, "jerk's honor."

Cameron turned from House, determined not to let him see her full fledged smile. Without a word she covered her action by taking their dishes to the kitchen and quickly returning to the sofa. Readily finding the Sofa empty she glanced toward the door where Greg was rattling his keys impatiently. Cameron looked surprised, "so, you don't need my help?"

House smiled, "Never did." Gesturing toward the open door he mimicked the voice of a surf dude, "Move it or lose it sister, we're burning daylight, here." Eliciting a fake pout from Cameron she acquiesced, mounting the bright motorcycle just seconds after House. Greg whipped the motorcycle through the otherwise quiet streets, taking the turns as sharp as he dared, which only served to make Cameron wrap her arms tighter around his torso.

Arriving at a cute old fashioned restaurant Cameron's eyes grew wide in surprise as she quickly traded her pout for a glimmering smile. "How'd you know to come here? This is my favorite restaurant!"

"I know." House grabbed his cane from the holster and headed into the quaint little restaurant, leaving Cameron to follow at an awestruck pace. She'd been to this place many times since she started work at Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. Most of the time it was by herself on a Saturday night, to have a coffee and observe other people. Cameron would often create little stories about the couples that sat oblivious to the young doctor in the corner booth. This was probably the first time she ever had the opportunity to share the experience.

House called her back to reality, "Cameron, you commin'?"

Allison hadn't realized she'd stopped in her tracks. In the time it took her to saunter to the door, House had already snagged her corner booth and ordered drinks for the both of them; coffee for himself and a medley of tea for Cameron. She simply nodded and followed Greg back to the all too familiar booth.

They sat in a comfortable silence until a short brunette came to take their orders. Her eyes brightened when she recognized Cameron. "Well hello miss Allison, what can I get for you and your handsome friend today? The usual?"

Greg's interest was piqued, "what's the usual?"

Sondra was quick to chime in, "Turkey, lettuce, and tomato on zucchini bread, with a side of baked potato wedges. And for dessert, the usual is butter pecan frozen yogurt and Cantaloupe."

Cameron nodded, "sounds wonderful. You know me too well." She paused for a moment as Sondra scribbled down her order. "By the way, this is Dr.House."

"nice to meet you, I'm Sondra." she said offering her hand "what would you like today?"

House feigned interest and took her hand the same way someone would handle a dirty tissue. He was never much for pleasantries, so why should he have to endure them? "Reuben on Rye, no pickles, a side of your greasiest fries, a coke, and a sundae for dessert." Greg patted his stomach sarcastically, "watching my diet. Doctor's orders."

Cameron chuckled and Sondra headed back to the kitchen to give the orders. Silence fell over both of them momentarily. It was when their eyes met Cameron spoke her curiosity, "Why did you come to me?"

House uneasily glanced to his lap, then back at Cameron, "The question isn't why I came to you. It's why wouldn't I come to you?" Clearing his throat, he continued "Over all the years that we've known each other, I haven't seen anyone near as selfless as you. You've even gone so far as to make friends with cancer patients before telling them they were dying. You married another cancer patient, knowing the suffering you'd be exposed to. Many times, since I've met you, you've tried to reach out to me. I guess when it really came down to it, I needed someone who'd always been there for me." House paused, "Someone like you."

Watching his body language, Cameron knew that wasn't all of it. "What about Wilson? Hasn't he always been there."

"Ah, but there's the problem. Sympathy Sex wouldn't be nearly as fun with Wilson." House smirked back.

A look of confusion contorted her features briefly, until she'd realized his inherent sarcasm. Gently she reached across the table and laid her hand on his, "House... I'm serious."

"and so am I, let's say you and I hit the ladies room, they'll never suspect a thi- ow!" Greg grimaced when Cameron's hand gripped his own, mercilessly. "okay, okay.. I'll tell you." House looked around almost to make sure none of his coworkers were in the room, then leaned over the table, encouraging Cameron to do the same. In a whisper he continued to tell Cameron what she'd asked for, "Because he didn't believe me the first time it happened."

Cameron nearly squealed, upset he hadn't relayed this information before, "What do you mean, 'the first time?'"

"shhhhhh." House raised his free hand to her lips, "Keep it down Cameron, someone might hear you."

Quickly, she brought her voice down to a whisper, aware that others had turned their heads in their direction. "sorry."

Grabbing her outer hand, he brought it under the table and led it to his heavily scarred leg. "Understand?" House allowed her digits to momentarily wander before commanding her attention with his brilliant blue gaze. He sighed heavily, recounting the memories of "dying" the first time.

"I understand, but..." Cameron returned her porcelain hands to her own lap.

"but what?" He inquired in a faint whisper.

"But last time, you were able to explain it as a chemical process the brain goes through when shutting down. That's what you told other patients." Allison paused to gather her thoughts. "What's so different about this time?"

Their conversation was interrupted by Sondra's return. Placing the platters squarely on the table she regurgitated their orders, "The usual for miss Allison, and a Reuben on rye, no pickles, for Her handsome friend. Extra Greasy as requested. Dessert will be ready before too long, Enjoy!" Just as quickly as she'd appeared, she left to leave them in peace, oblivious to the heavy conversation they were having.

The doctors' attention turned to the warm food before them. Allison had just grabbed a potato wedge, when House stopped her. "Are we supposed to pray or something? Like, do we get a mark against us on the white board from Hell if we don't?"

"I don't know, House. I'll do anything as long as I get to eat the food I ordered sometime before it grows mold."

"But I don't know, what to say. Is that a point against me as well?" House inquired, half-jokingly, half-serious. He was rather having a good time watching Allison grow impatient.

"Here," she said reaching her hands across the table, taking House's in hers, "This is what I used to say when I was younger. It's about the only thing I remember from Sunday school." Bowing her head she recited, "God is great, God is good, thank you for our food, Amen." Lifting her head and drawing her hands back she inquired "Satisfied?, can I eat now?"

"Not until I make sure it's safe." He teased, grabbing a handful of potato wedges from her plate.

Her eyes grew wide, "your eating those_ without_ ketchup?"

Childishly, House spat them back onto a plate, "you want them back?" he said, offering the array of chewed food to her. "Here's the ketchup" With a great deal of unbelief she shook her head from sided to side. "Fine then" House smirked, proceeding to pick up the bits of chewed food and re-insert them into his mouth.

He couldn't help but laugh when Allison muttered to herself before taking her sandwich into her hands, "it's like eating with an eight year old."

When the desserts finally came Greg's eyes lit up so much that any passer-by might think he really was a child. Quickly gaining his composure, he dug into the mountain of ice cream, chocolate, and sprinkles. Cameron silently laughed, indulging herself in a more grown-up choice of dessert; fruit and frozen yogurt. Upon finishing the meal, Greg paid the bill and returned to the corner booth.

"House." Cameron paused, her green eyes displaying indecision. "What's next on our agenda?" She'd held back asking about the rest of his story, not wanting to ruin the moment. Both doctors had finally let their guard down, and were enjoying the much needed company. If only she knew the full extent of what he'd seen. Would she then pull away after hearing what he had to say, or would she become even more open?

House sighed, grateful to have an escape, at least for a little while. "You'll see when we get there."

**_AN: don't forget to leave a comment!!!!!!!!!!_**


	7. Mick Jagger

**A/N: woot! woot! over 2000 words baby!!!!!!!! Anyways, wanted to tell you how much your review have made an impact on this story :D 1.) it helps me to get the next chapter out faster, 2.) I squeal in joy everytime I open my email and get to see that I have reviews... it just makes my day :D**

**special thanks to those who reviewed chapter 6 : Tsukihysteria, breakaway01, momsboys, KittyX1981, goathland1, sweetgreuy, and mishy-mo!!!!!**

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A delicate smile played across Cameron's lips that made House want to grab her fiercely and unleash the passion that had been building for many years. In his heart he wanted to kiss her, hold her close and never let go. In his mind he resisted the temptation, longing for Cameron to experience a man far greater than himself. Someone closer to her age; someone who could sweep her off her feet and fulfill her every desire.

His bright blue eyes struggled to convey this, while his body limped toward the exit of the restaurant. Speechless, Cameron was left to follow, yet again. Upon exiting the cozy little diner a gentle breeze caught her blond hair, swirling the long strands about her body in a mesmerizing fashion. She smiled and laughed, enjoying the beauty of the otherwise ordinary June day.

House revved the engine, commanding her to take her place behind him. A subtle smile briefly danced across his own lips when Cameron encircled her arms around his waist. Without hesitation he sped down the city streets about twenty miles over the speed limit, carefully avoiding every stoplight, stop sign, and yield sign known to man. It was a wonder that he hadn't passed any cops in his mad dash out of the city.

Once on country roads House took a more reckless pace, causing Cameron to react in a combination of fear and exhilaration. The young doctor scooted as far on the edge of her seat she could, closing the small gap between their bodies. Her tiny arms gripped him tighter as her heart began to race and her breaths quickened. For some reason she felt safe, as their hearts beat in unison. It was in that moment she felt that he was in control, and knowing he was in control meant she'd be out of harm's way. In a way she was his patient, and he was the all-knowing doctor one-step ahead of her symptoms, taking joy in knowing how she'd react to whatever he did to her.

House took a sharp turn onto a dirt road, sending a cloud of dirt behind them. They followed the winding road until they came upon a large wooden gate. He stopped and Cameron hopped off long enough to unlock the gate and re-lock it once Greg passed through. Re-mounting she smiled, seeing the worn motorcycle trail across the otherwise untouched grass; he was obviously a frequent visitor. They rode slowly to the edge of a small pond, careful not to disturb the horses that were lazily grazing around them.

Cameron was the first to dismount. She was like a kid in a candy store as she took in her surroundings. Allison spun around, her smile growing as each detail pointed to them being in the middle of nowhere. There were no cars to be seen of heard, the only building in sight was a huge barn, in the distance. This was paradise! Every aspect called out to her; the horses milling about, the bridge extending across the pond, even the hammock 50 feet away.

Turning slowly, her glowing gaze met House's, "Is this real?"

"No, it's just a figment that happens to plague both our imaginations at the exact same time." House paused, "Of course it's real! What would make you ask such a stupid question?"

Cameron shrugged off House's question, following as he made his way to the hammock. Gingerly lowering himself to the apparatus he gestured for Cameron to join him. The end result was both of them lying across the width of the contraption with their legs hanging off the side. Not surprisingly, Cameron's feet didn't touch the ground when she laid back against the fabric, so, Greg used his good leg to create a gentle swinging motion.

In attempt to break the awkward silence that'd settled over them, House spoke. "The first time I came here, I was young and stupid." Cameron smiled, recounting some of the things she'd heard about House's Hopkins days. "The owners originally had a herd of cattle in this pasture, and I was looking for some trouble to get into. So late one night I woke up Wilson and we drove down here to do some Cow-tipping. Now, neither one of us had done this before. We hopped the fence and approached our first cow. Before I knew it Wilson and I were arguing about how to tip the stupid cow. We'd gotten to a point where we were really worked up about it so, like a moron, I shoved the cow out of spite." Greg laughed for a moment before continuing, "Instead of tipping it like I thought I would the stupid thing woke up, and was not too happy. It chased us all the way back to the gate. I hopped the gate before the cow had reached it. Wilson was two-steps behind and the cow ended up ramming into him." Greg smiled, the memory dancing around his mind.

"He screamed like a girl and instantly peed his pants. I laughed so hard, watching him crawl through the fence before the cow did any more damage. I haven't let him live it down. I don't think I ever will." Cameron laughed, surprised at how easily the moment went from awkward to warm, like they'd been to this very place many times before.

"How long have you known Wilson?"

"Too long" House answered.

Cameron suddenly jerked, caught off guard by a large horse looming over them. She hopped off the hammock in order to get a better look at the massive creature. "Cameron calm down, it's only Mick Jagger." House soothed, reaching up to scratch the horse's massive jaw

"You named him?" Cameron laughed, approaching the black thoroughbred.

"Everyone needs a name, Cameron." House pulled a waded napkin from his pants pocket. Unrolling it across his abdomen he revealed a handful of french-fries from lunch and offered one to the anxious horse. "These," he gestured as Mick took the fry, "are Mick's favorite."

"Oh, really?" she questioned taking a fry from the napkin and offering it to the large horse. She laughed as the horse thoroughly examined her hand after taking the fry. Cameron smiled, removing another fry from the napkin, this time she leaned over House, "I think they're your favorite too." Placing one hand on his chest to stable herself she offered House the fry. At the last moment, Mick Jagger craned his neck and took the fry from Allison's hand before it made it to Greg's open mouth.

Laughing, Greg pulled Cameron back into the Hammock, nearly flipping them in the process. Once the contraption stabled, Cameron gently batted Mick's head, encouraging him to leave them in peace. Careful not to tip the Hammock Cameron rolled toward House, resting her head and hand on his chest.

Greg stiffened, not wanting to encourage Cameron's action, yet not wanting to discourage it either. He only continued to propel the hammock in a gentle swinging motion and toss the fries off to the side. "House," Cameron spoke softly, "tell me everything."

"I have gas" He chortled.

"House..."

"Oh, you mean... that" House smirked. "There's just something about this time that tells me it was more than the brain shutting down. The first time I was convinced it was a mistake that I was sent to Hell. Since then I saved more lives than ever and when I had to face Him again, it didn't mean a thing. I just don't get why I can save so many lives, yet mine was tossed."

House took a deep breath, running his fingers through her hair. "There's one more thing. Something different that's tugged at me ever since I put that stupid knife into the outlet."

"What's that?" Cameron questioned, taking in the emanating heat from his torso against the thin fabric of her scrubs.

"You. All I could think about was not wanting you to experience what I was experiencing at that very moment. You're the pinnacle of goodness. You sacrifice yourself all the time. If doing good things and saving lives can't get anyone into heaven, then I want to do what I have to, and take you with me" House grinned uneasily as he laid himself bare before Cameron.

Propping herself up on her side she looked into House's gaze, "You like me" she said, moving her free arm up to his cheek, sliding her thumb across his stubble.

"Maybe," he said placing his hand on top of hers, "But it wouldn't be right. I'm more than 10 years older than you. I'm not good boyfriend material. You deserve someone closer to your age, someone who'll always put you first. You don't need an old bastard like me. Besides, what happened to Chase? I thought you two were an item."

"Chase just wasn't right... He was almost too much like me. You should be able to relate to that. After all, you did fire the 'ridiculously old fraud' on the same grounds didn't you?" Cameron paused a smile alighting her face, "And shouldn't I get a say in whom would be right for me?"

"Maybe... Or you could always run off with Mick Jagger over there, and live happily ever after." House winked, placing her hand to his lips then on his rising and falling chest.

Allison just shook her head. "I've decided you're not crazy, at least not in regard to you're 'experience.' You've always been a little crazy... but you always tell the truth. I think you really experienced this. But what I want to know is this, what's next?"

"I say a night of hot and wild sex, and some buckwheat pancakes in the morning." Greg smiled, halfway serious.

"No, I mean if what we do doesn't mean anything, what does? I did go to church when I was little, but all they focused on was being good little boys and girls; they never really talked about getting into heaven or avoiding Hell."

"Those are big topics for little girls. Maybe we can sit in on a Sunday service?" House questioned, unsure of the whole Christian thing. Everything had felt real, but in reality feelings meant nothing. Maybe it was just a hallucination, maybe it wasn't.

Cameron laughed heartily, "You, in a church? I can see it now, you'd behave for the first fifteen minutes. The pastor would say something you didn't agree with and you would stand up in front of all those people and start an arguing match. If the guy was worth his weight in beans he'd have a counter for everything you would say, and you'd storm out of the building. If he didn't have answers you'd argue with him until he cried, or you were ushered out of the building by a random old person." Cameron noticed a smirk on House's face, she knew the likely hood of that happening.

"Well maybe Church isn't the brightest idea. What's your brilliant plan?"

"I'll figure something out." Cameron reassured. With House's hand still on the outside of hers she raised it to his face, so her thumb could outline his features. With their feeling out in the open, Cameron felt comfortable with her next move. Slowly she lowered her head toward Greg's, not breaking eye contact until the last moment when their lips met. For a moment they just allowed closed lips to sit on one another, welcoming the rush of gentle sensations.

The floodgates opened when House took initiative and jerked her closer to his body, and opened his mouth to meet hers. Tongues danced in a fury of pent-up passion, while hands explored every crevice of Cameron's sculpted body. Cameron met his every move, reacting perfectly to every place he allowed his tongue to explore until they were too breathless to continue. When their lips departed to breathe, Cameron took the break to make eye contact with him.

"It's a perfect fit." Greg grinned, pulling her lips toward his for another session. This time House was more adventurous with his hands. Snaking his large hands around her body one found her bottom and squeezed. Cameron broke their lip-lock with a giggle.

"So how long have you been wanting to do that?" Cameron smiled.

"Since the first time I saw this perfectly sculpted ass from God." House then gave another squeeze, causing her smile to grow even wider.

Like a child with a new toy, he continued to squeeze, and get great pleasure from her reactions. It was like it tickled her, and if he had to tickle any part of her body, what could be better that a squeeze to her butt? Laughing too hard to continue kissing she lowered her head to his chest. "Do you think we were meant to be?"


	8. but, billy got a turn

_**AN: ** _Sorry this took so long guys. hehe, but I did make it extra long just for all my devoted readers out there :D

_**BTW, new episode of House tonight!!!!!!!! Squeals! I don't want to spoil anything for people who haven't seen the 2 latest new ones so if anything interesting has popped out from those episodes please message me... I love to talk about House... yay**_

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Upon hearing the question, Greg released her buttock, moaning and shifting uneasily. Then, he virtually froze to the point where the hammock stood still, un-propelled by his long appendage. "oh let's ruin-"

Cameron abruptly cut him off, placing two fingers on his lips and letting the palm of her hand rest on his hairy chin. "I know, I know... it was a stupid question. You don't need to answer." The young doctor allowed her voice to drop to a delicate whisper, "I knew the answer before I asked." In order to flush out the ensuing awkwardness, Cameron hummed a song she'd never really known the words to; leaving her fingers on his lips. With the vibrations of her wordless song flowing through her body, she didn't dare move her head from his rising and falling chest; afraid to have the connection forever broken by one stupid question.

The hummed song she so easily perfected, had been in her family since she was little. Allison's mother used it to comfort her anytime something went wrong. Cameron had a rough childhood, so every so often she'd find herself in her mother's arms rocking gently to the soothing melody. Naturally, she adopted the habit, clinging to the power within to ease all the pain and heartache she'd experienced in her 28 years of life. Now, Cameron found the opportunity to share the song's power with someone who wasn't family, she was interested to see if it had the same effect. With her head so close to House's heart she could feel his heartbeat skyrocket then gradually slow to a relaxed pace, therefore anticipating his reactions to her solution.

Once she felt the hammock begin to swing back and forth, she ever so gently allowed her hand to wander across the rest of his face, each detail becoming a bolder and a deeper part of her conceptions of the gruff older doctor. House didn't utter a word, hoping not to spoil everything so soon. Instead, sighing heavily, he allowed himself to be lulled partially by Cameron's actions and wordless tune.

What he'd never admit to anyone, was that Cameron's honest sincerity and caring nature comforted him. When everything in the world was so chaotic, just catching her gaze in passing could set him on a high incomparable to consuming an entire bottle of Vicodin. This, he knew from experience.

Slender digits explored and caressed every area of House's aged face. It was almost as if she could feel every year in the crevices of his face. The wrinkles on his forehead intrigued her with tales untold, as if each wrinkle had it's own story. The stubble on his jaw gave her great delight, the texture so different from the smoothness of his cheekbones. Upon reaching House's lips, he pursed them, offering a subtle peck to her thirsty fingertips.

Pausing from the soothing song, Cameron looked up at House with a brilliant smile playing across her lips. Briefly making eye contact, House gave a half-smile of his own; genuine for the first time in many years. Quickly Cameron lowered her head and House closed his eyes; various forms of smiles still on their lips. Moving her hand to his chest, Allison began humming again, only softer this time around.

Cameron's own eyes began to drift shut after several more minutes of humming. House could tell when she'd officially fallen asleep and lay limp beside him. He reveled how she could trust him when he'd indeed not earned it. House was amazed at her unabashed devotion to him, even when he lashed out in anger and fear.

Opening his eyes, House took the opportunity to observe the one who knew so much about him, understood him, and asked for nothing in return. Running his long fingers through her hair, House secretly wished he could look into her green gaze forever. Cameron had a wonderful figure, and a gorgeous demeanor, but her secret was in the eyes. It pulled off ever outfit she wore, it showed all her feelings, hopes, and desires, and those gorgeous green eyes won over House each and every time he dared to make contact with them.

Carefully, he glided one of his hands along her figure, quite unsure of why this beauty would even take a second look at him; "the beast." When he circled his hand up to her torso he grasped the collar of her shirt and began to pull it away from her body in attempt to see what her "yabbos" really looked like. House was slightly shocked when Cameron stirred enough to shake her head in disapproval and reposition his hand in a more acceptable place on her shoulder. Closing his eyes once more, House drifted into an unencumbered sleep as well. This was one of the few times he'd ever intentionally let his guard down; trusting Cameron not to take advantage of this extremely rare act.

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Both slept quite a few hours, emotionally drained from the day's events. Cameron awoke first, readily greeted with a bone-chilling breeze. She shivered; her thin scrubs penetrated by the breeze. The body heat from House did little to warm her. Shifting carefully, Cameron rose up on one elbow, laughing silently at her snoring lover.

Though shivers racked her small form, Allison laid a kiss on House's cheek and spoke in attempts of waking him, "House, I think it's time to go."

The snoring ceased, and House opened one eye to take in his surroundings and quickly shut it, speaking gruffly, "Go back to sleep, we can leave later."

"But..." Cameron replied, regretting waking him.

Greg sighed, slightly annoyed, "But what, Cameron? I was sleeping you know..."

"Sorry, it's just..." She whispered, another shiver racking her body.

His eyes fluttered open, flooding with concern, even though he tried to pull off an annoyed look. "Spit it out, woman, I'm awake now."

"It's just so cold out here." Allison looked down at the stray hand she'd left on his chest.

House inwardly laughed at her apparent embarrassment. "Okay, okay. We'll leave, but on one condition..." House paused, waiting for Allison's eyes to meet his, "you're going to wear my blazer, and grab something warmer from your house tonight. Now move, I can't get up until you get off me."

Without a word Cameron hopped off the hammock, nearly falling back in when House used her shoulder to get himself out of the hammock. Popping a vicodin, he removed the navy blazer and threw it at Cameron before hobbling back to the motorcycle. Greg House quickly started the bike and motioned for Cameron to hurry. Impatiently, he waited for Cameron to situate herself. He had to laugh inwardly once her arms circled his waist. The blazer was obviously too large for her; the length of the sleeves far extending her hands and hanging over his abdomen.

They rode to the gate at a slower pace than coming in. Cameron hopped off, sleepily unlocking the gate then re-locking it once House passed through. House kept the bike at a slow pace until reaching the main road. A part of him wanted to remain in that surreal patch of land, that seemed to grow more beautiful as the sun set in the sky.

Various shades of pinks and oranges surrounded the couple as they took a more reckless pace on the main roads. Upon arriving at Cameron's apartment complex she leaned over his shoulder and kissed his stubbly jaw, whispering "thank you," as she dismounted. Cameron sauntered to the door, Greg falling in step right beside her.

After a few rings to her neighbor's buzzer a child's voice came over the ancient speaker system, "who is it?"

"Billy, it's miss Allison. Can you go get Chloe or your mom for me? I don't have my keys." Allison smiled, thankful Billy answered the buzzer despite his mother's wishes. Billy's mother wanted Billy to learn not to answer the buzzer for safety reasons. Without her knowing, Billy could easily allow a stranger access to the building or even her apartment, and bring harm to their family. So, as most toddlers do, he broke the rule fairly often; luckily they'd yet to have any serious problems.

"Miss Allison?" House mockingly questioned, tapping his cane on the floor.

The speaker sounded again before she could respond, this time a slightly older voice, "Miss Allison, Billy came and got me. I'll be down in a moment." It wasn't long before Cameron saw Chloe and Billy racing down the stairs to her rescue. Chloe pulled open the door allowing Cameron and House to walk into the significantly warmer building.

Allison smiled at the familiar pair. Chloe, being the typical teenager that she was, was dressed in jeans and a hoodie and stood with one hand on her hip. The tyke that raced down with her was already in his lime green pajamas with Kermit slippers on his tiny feet. He waved excitedly at Cameron, happy to avoid bedtime for another five minutes.

Once the door was closed, Chloe handed Cameron a set of spare keys, eying House warily. Seamlessly, Chloe grasped Billy's hand and pulled him close to her side before giving an oral summary, "I took care of Doc after school. Your friend forgot to put him back in his cage before she left but he didn't destroy too much, just scattered some food from the cupboard and ate half a book. Nothing major, but Billy did spill some grape juice on the carpet." Chloe rolled her eyes, "I cleaned it up as best I could. Mom insisted I give you this, to buy some cleaner or something." Chloe extended a twenty dollar bill, slightly annoyed that Billy wouldn't stop fidgeting.

"Thank you for everything, Chloe" Cameron smiled as she pocketed the twenty and glanced at House, her eyes apologizing for keeping him waiting.

Chloe turned to take Billy back to their apartment, when he broke loose and ran to House. Staring at his towering form, Billy asked, "Miss Allison, who's that?"

"Sorry kids." Allison gestured accordingly, "Chloe, Billy, this is my good friend, Doctor House. House, this is Chloe, and this is Billy." Neither House or the kids moved to shake hands, Chloe and House nodded, and Billy stood awestruck that anyone could ever be so tall. So, in order to make things warmer, Cameron knelt and extended her hands to Billy, "Come here, squirt. Let's take a ride in the elevator."

Allison lifted the toddler to her hips, opening a flood gate for countless questions. His bright blue eyes shone with curiosity as he looked to Cameron and House with great excitement. "Why are you wearing that funny looking jacket? It's so big... You know, mommy gets me clothes that are too big sometimes, but you know what she told me?"

Cameron looked over her shoulder briefly noticing Chloe heading up the steps, "One second, Billy." Cameron paused, calling out to Chloe, "Are you coming with us Chloe?"

The young teen paused long enough to roll her eyes, "no, you want me to get fatter? I'm taking the stairs." The kid had a bit of an attitude, House noted she was obviously menstrual, and didn't take too well to him. It didn't bother him though, he could care less if another teenager rolled their eyes his way. They were usually high-strung on hormones anyway.

House hobbled along, guided by Allison's sleeve-cloaked hand in the crook of his left elbow. He could have easily made it to her apartment without her lead, but he was interested in her fascination with the brown-haired parasite that straddled her tiny hip. "So, what did your mom tell you?" Cameron inquired, allowing House to push the up arrow just on the outside of the elevator frame with his ever-useful cane.

The little one jabbered excitedly, changing topic quickly, "woah... What's that for, doctor House? You just pushed the elevator button with it. That's so cool! You know, mommy doesn't let me ride the elevator. she says that I'm not old enough for it. You wont tell that I rode it will you? I wouldn't want to get in troub-"

Greg interrupted the annoying babbling, "It's for hitting things... that talk too much." House sarcastically remarked, almost offended the toddler dared to mention the cursed thing. Stepping onto the elevator he could hear the little one gasp.

Billy's eyes went wide with surprise and Cameron shot House a dirty look, quickly turning her attention to the toddler that had clenched her arm fearfully. "Don't worry, Billy, he'd never hit you. Doctor House likes you very much."

"I never said that." he stated, stepping aboard the elevator with Cameron still at his side, her expression growing hopeless. Gently she shifted Billy to her other hip, placing the child between herself and House. As the doors came to a close, she punched the number "3", and leaned against the back wall, closing her eyes in mild frustration.

Remaining quiet, Billy allowed himself to glance at the man with the cane. He nearly peed his pull-ups when House made a face at him, knowing full well Allison wouldn't do anything about it. Greg was surprised when, with lids still shut, Allison grinned, admittedly having fun playing mind games with the three year old. "I saw that." Allison chuckled, before stepping through the opening doors of the elevator.

Swiftly, Cameron lowered Billy to the floor. Instead of grabbing her outstretched hand, Billy ran like mad for his sister who stood in front of the Apartment door. "what'd you guys do to him?" the teen questioned, unconcerned.

"You mean, what did House do..." Cameron paused, knowing full well that Chloe could care less why Billy was so upset. "Night, Chloe." Chloe and Cameron exchanged smiles, the teen disappearing into the neighboring apartment. House tapped his cane impatiently while Cameron fumbled with the keys, all the while laughing inwardly at the toddler's response. She turned to house, laughing "He's not going to sleep a wink you know."

"I tend to have that affect on people." House paused, rubbing his jaw, "Though, for most it's erotic sexual fantasies. Can't tell you the number of times Wilson's-"

Cameron raised her palm, "I don't think I want to know."

"Your loss."

Cameron shook her head and pushed open the door, and stepped into the crystalline apartment. Removing her shoes on the front mat she proceeded to turn on the lights. She was halfway through the apartment when she realized that House hadn't crossed the threshold. Backtracking, Cameron returned to the front door to see House holding out his hands. "House? What are you doing?"

"My turn." He said, motioning with his arms.

"No, House, you're twice my weight. You can't be serious." Cameron smiled, removing the navy blazer from her shoulders.

Greg promptly placed his hands on his hips, "So, you're saying I'm fat now?"

"House... I can't." Allison tossed the blazer at house when he extended his arms again and began to follow after her.

"B-b-but Miss Allison, Billy got a turn."

"Billy's a thirty-pound toddler, and you're... you're... just no." Cameron laughed, Greg slowly catching up to her. "Go watch the television or something. Read a book, if you still know how."

Catching up to her lithe form, House pinned her against the wall, wordlessly leaning down to place his lips on hers. They'd almost made contact when House saw something dark out of the corner of his eye. Standing erect he questioned, "What the HELL is that?"


	9. Lentil Soup and Tomato Sandwiches

**A/N:** Sorry this took so long to produce... I got called into work while someone was sick for like 10 days straight... :D so yeah... :D House comes back in April! but only for like 3 episodes... I'm so stoked! cough cough (yes, I know I'm a dork)

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Cameron's eyes went wide at House's adverse reaction. "What? The dog?" she questioned glancing into the room to her right.

"No, the big, black, furry thing in that cage over there." House gaped sarcastically, stumbling half a step backwards.

Cameron sighed, "House, it's just Doc. He's rather harmless, do you wanna go in and meet him?"

House looked away, "no . . . I'm scared"

With much disbelief Cameron questioned him, "scared?"

Greg smirked when he made eye contact with her again, "hold me?" He held his hands out to Allison once again.

She, in turn, playfully batted his arms away and retreated to the kitchen, leaving both Doc, and House momentarily beside themselves. When House didn't readily pursue, Cameron peeked back into the hallway, a coy smile pulling at her lips. The gruff doctor offered a grin of his own when Cameron once again ducked into the kitchen; her intentions made obvious. Tossing his cane to the ground he hobbled down the short hallway and into the kitchen where his little "pancake slave" patiently awaited.

As House rounded the corner he went expressionless at a sight that would have made most men pant like dogs. However, his expressionless-ness was actually to be considered a very good sign, for it meant that he was contemplating the best way to take advantage of the opportunity that lay before him. Cameron leaned seductively against the island counter-top, with a single cherry between her lips and an apron around her waist. Her scrub top had long been discarded, and all that remained was a sheer white tank top that did little to conceal her lacy black bra.

Momentarily, House had forgotten to breathe, and ended up expelling his held breath in a muted "wow." Gathering his bearings, Greg moved closer to Allison, desire written upon his every facet. Her smile grew surprisingly larger when House snaked his large hands around her back and briskly pulled Allison's lithe form close to his own, locking eyes with her for what seemed an eternity. He was reading her, trying to figure her out like another stupid puzzle; the one puzzle he doubted he'd ever solve.

Closing her eyes, she allowed House to take the lead. Carefully, he positioned her body so that she was able to slide onto the counter top, allowing effortless access to her neck. Stooping slightly, Greg slid between her legs and rested some of his weight against the counter. It wasn't like she was going to hold him, so he settled for the best alternative; something that wouldn't tire his leg out too easily while he had his pancake slave all to himself. Purposely avoiding the cherry she tempted him with, House slid his tongue along each side of her neck, planting kisses just below each earlobe. He was about to repeat this, when Allison grabbed his face with both hands in a futile attempt to resume the lead. Firmly, he pinned her arms against the counter top and resumed where he left off, leaving Cameron squirming through her pleasurable torture.

Greg's lips locked on Cameron's left lobe, immediately causing the cherry to fall from her mouth as she arched her back in pure ecstacy. It was definitely one of her sweet spots, and House stored that bit of information away for another time. Satisfied at the hickey that remained, he released her and stood to his full height, breathless. His steady inhalation and exhalation ceased when House's head collided with a pan hanging above the island. Muttering a few obscenities, he knocked all the surrounding pans to the ground and took after Allison again.

"satisfied?" Cameron smirked as she trailed a finger across his bicep.

Without word, House leaned in and took Allison's mouth against his own. Pausing between kisses she managed to whisper, "I'll take that...as...a...yes." With that she wrapped her arms around his neck and allowed herself to be lost in the heat of the moment. The pair perfectly complimented each other, matching move for move and breath for breath.

Several moments cascaded by until the next interruption came. This one was much more unpleasant than merely bumping into a hanging pan. Once the clock changed over to eight o' clock a shrill alarm sounded over the stove, and the dog barked, which caused Cameron to jump and bite down on House's probing tongue. He promptly grimaced and retracted his pain-soaked member, inwardly laughing at how embarrassed Cameron was at this very moment. Of course House didn't show how amused he was, he simply responded with "what the hell did you do that for?"

Cameron apologized profusely and slid off the counter; the moment was ruined anyway. She proceeded to the refrigerator to do what she always did at eight o' clock; feed the stupid dog. She removed a container marked with a sticky note that read "Friday, Dinner." An average person would not peg the innards of the container to be dog food; for it had chicken, brown rice, and a few vegetables layered in perfect alignment. It was some special diet that Cameron's mom said the dog would do better on than dog food alone.

Thinking the food was for their dinner, Greg stood off to the side and allowed her to heat the food; the heavenly aroma caused his mouth to water. He was surprised when Cameron swiftly added a cup of dog chow and left the room. House took the opportunity to go through her cupboards, naturally curious as to what she stored in each one. As he suspected, most of the food was from the local health food store. Even most of the junk food was healthy; made with whole wheat or dried rice, and words he'd never even heard of before.

However, he did find it slightly amusing that one cupboard was nearly overflowing with chocolate, and chocolate alternatives; and not just the healthy chocolate either. To the untrained observer, it was a snack shack for the little kiddies that came to visit. House knew better, the chocolate was intended for her when her PMS flared. He smiled, recounting the times he'd inadvertently seen Cameron with a pack of M&Ms while she charted his cases, and other boring paper-related activities. 

House also knew that just about every time she had the guts to stand up to him was when she was menstruating; he was always amused at how that worked. Cameron returned to find House helping himself to a Crunch Bar, with a smile she chided "House, if you eat too much candy, you'll spoil your dinner."

"Anything you'd fix would be too healthy anyway. I'd know, I looked." House smirked, purposely taking another bite of the crunch bar.

Allison nearly laughed, "you went through my cupboards? What'd you expect to find, steak and potatoes?"

"Either that, or Prime rib. I figured if you fed the mutt something that good, the people food would be even better." House shrugged, swallowing another mouthful of candy. "You know, if you want to keep me around, you're going to have to stop being so damn healthy all the time. A little red meat won't kill you."

Cameron quickly bridged the gap between them and allowed her hand to trail his arm. "Is that so?" She questioned with a playful grin. Hint of embarrassment still plagued her body language, but they both knew it was only a matter of time before it passed.

"Well, I am a doctor. My opinion should count for something."

Cameron responded with another, "is that so?" the statement/question brought a smirk to his face.

House gently kissed her, "yeah, that's so." He retorted taking the opportunity to get lost in her gorgeous gaze. Greg could hardly believe how easy he lost himself in her presence. No one had ever had that affect on him since his bout with Stacey, and he knew that no one ever would. It'd taken years for Cameron and House to reach this point, so the feelings were quite genuine.

The silence was broken when Cameron chuckled. "Go rest, I'll make us something to eat."

"Would that something happen to be pancakes?" Greg, questioned with hope.

Ushering House from the kitchen she simply came back with, "Nah, that's a breakfast food. I'll make something better, I promise." Cameron turned with a smile, meal ideas running through her mind. She wanted something quick, simple, yet tasted wonderful at the same time. Ah, she had it! Leftovers with a twist.

Quickly she pulled an opaque container filled with lentil soup from the refrigerator and proceeded to warm it in a pan on the stove. The smell quickly permeated the entire apartment. With great satisfaction Cameron again resumed pulling out ingredients for mouth-watering sandwiches. She was definitely a whiz in the kitchen.

Meanwhile, House entertained himself in the living room. The discovery of no cable brought little surprise, so instead of fighting with regular television he did what he did best, snoop. In one corner of the spacious quarters there was a toy box for the little neighbor-brat. It had the things most toy boxes contain; stuffed animals, noisemakers, and toy cars. In another corner, a treadmill sat with a set of hand weights and an exercise mat. Apparently one wasn't that skinny by lazing around and watching television all the time.

However, House was much more interested by the corner she's reserved for herself. It wasn't much, but it spoke volumes about Cameron. An over sized chair sat in "her" corner surrounded by open books, and a bookshelf sat an arms length away. A pair of her glasses lay in the center of "Gulliver's Travels." That's a title he never would have guessed she would read.

Resting in "Cameron's" Corner, House glanced at the myriad of books and writing material that surrounded him haphazardly. One book, treasure island, was half eaten; the others seemed to be in fairly decent shape. However, House quickly lost interest when his eyes stumbled across a wooden box craftily wedged behind a few older books. Using his length to his advantage, he plucked the box from it's resting place; strewing the not-so-concealing books to the floor.

Cameron walked in just as House began to open the box. He could hear the sound of dishes rattling on the metal tray as Cameron struggled to regain her footing. Surprisingly, she didn't mention the box; she tried to avoid it like it wasn't even there.

"Lentil Soup and tomato sandwiches!" Cameron exclaimed resting the tray on a coffee table.

House ignored her, and proceeded through the box more vigorously, knowing it bothered her. "The food can wait." Cameron was slightly taken aback and remained speechless. "I want to know why you don't want me looking through this box."

"Are you trying to find ways to push me away?" The young doctor asked, her smile quickly dissipating.

"No." He retorted, "I merely find your reaction interesting. You wouldn't have nearly tripped over your own feet if you weren't surprised to see me with _your box_."

"There was a snag in the carpet." Cameron nonchalantly defended her position, "Can you just put the damn box away? The food is getting cold." She slid into the over-sized chair beside him and tried to coax him into submission.

House quickly placed the box out of her reach and removed a few corresponding letters; one signed from 'bug' and another signed from 'Bear'. "Not until you tell me who these people are."

Heat rose to her pale cheeks, "Bug, was my father's nickname for me. Bear was my nickname for him..." She paused briefly to collect her words. "It's a chapter in my life I've been trying to close for a while now. For heaven's sake, House, please leave this alone."

But the gruff, older doctor was not so easily dissuaded. Smirking, House caught her eyes, "Another piece of the puzzle..."

Only, Cameron didn't smile. This remark far from delighted her. Her porcelain face contorted in a mixture of anguish, hurt, and surprise. She struggled to hold back the threatening tears as she spoke, "Is that all I am to you, House?" His name hung heavily in the thick air. "A stupid Puzzle?"

She pushed herself from the chair and turned abruptly. "And where exactly are you going?" House questioned, still slightly lost.

When Allison spun to meet his eyes a single tear ran down her cheek. "House, you wouldn't know what real pain was if it bit you in the butt. Real people have real pain. But if everyone's a puzzle you don't have to care do you? You can bypass that step, do what you have to do to get what you want from them, and go on living your screwed up little life." Cameron paused, aware her voice had grown considerably louder than she'd intended. 

House returned her icy stare, then threw the mahogany box to the floor and stood from the chair, feeling a sense of superiority that came from their height difference. "I don't know pain do I? What the hell do you think comes from the hole in my leg then? Sunshine and puppies? Do you think I pretend to feel pain to pick up girls and have people treat me with more respect than I deserve?" House closed the gap that separated them, gesturing wildly as he spoke harshly "Newsflash, honey, the pain defines every waking moment of my entire existence. The vicadin only takes the edge off it so I can function. I can't do a damn thing without being reminded of my limitations. So what if papa bear touched you in your naughty place, at least people don't constantly remind you of that with feelings of pity and over exaggerations of 'politeness.'"

Cameron took the conversation from there, growing red in the face, "But you can escape. You get high every so often, you alienate yourself from anyone who gives a damn about your well-being, and worst of all ... you enjoy it. If you didn't, you would have changed a long time ago. With proper therapy you wouldn't have as many limitations, and with counseling I can bet your pain wouldn't be as intense either. So don't play the cripple card on me, nothing is as bad as knowing that the last words your father ever heard before dying were 'I hate you.'" The young doctor gathered the old box and it's contents from the floor, the tears now flowing freely.

"Well, if Stacey hadn't-" House didn't even dare finish the sentence, knowing whatever would come next would only create a bigger problem. In his conquest never to lose Greg spoke words he undoubtedly regretted, and bit his lip, watching as Cameron _clenched_.

"Stacey?" She couldn't't believe what that he would still mention her. "You still have feelings for her, don't you" He voice was no longer raised and came as more of a whisper. House had stepped towards her trying to get out of a heated conversation through a kiss, but Cameron only pushed him away. "No. Just go and find her again, or something... you can't love both her and me at the same time." She headed down the hall to her bedroom and shut the door, mixed emotions welling inside of her.

House tried following her when she left the room but he nearly doubled over from the pain that shot though his leg. Maybe there was something to her emotion-related theory. For a few moments he massaged his leg. Once it was okay to stand on, he fought the pain and hobbled down to Cameron's bedroom; picking up his cane on the way. 

Knocking gently he called out, "Cameron..." He could hear her shuffle and assumed it was alright to proceed in. As soon as the door opened a pillow flew just over his head, and a second pillow just barely missed him in his mad scramble to re-close the door. 

Oh, what was a cripple to do in this situation?


End file.
